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Detroit Congressman John Conyers forced to fight for spot on ballot in 26th re-election bid

John Conyers

In this July 30, 2013 file photo, U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. On Tuesday, April 29, 2014, Conyers opponent in the Democratic primary opponent in the 13th District congressional race Rev. Horace Sheffield III challenged Conyers' nominating petitions for the Aug. 5 Democratic primary. If the petitions are disqualified and Conyers falls short of the 1,000 valid signatures needed, his name would not appear on the ballot. Conyers first was elected to Congress in 1964.
((AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File))

DETROIT, MI -- Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett has found that U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Detroit) is 400 petition signatures shy of getting his name on the Aug. 5 primary ballot, but his campaign plans to keep fighting for a spot.

Conyers, 84, who is the second-longest-serving active member of Congress -- behind only the retiring U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Dearborn) -- still believes he turned in more then the required 1,000 valid signatures to make the ballot.

"We remain optimistic that at the end of the day, there will be more than a sufficient number of signatures accepted, and that Congressman Conyers will appear on the ballot in August," said John D. Pirich, an attorney representing the campaign.

"... There are several overlapping and conflicting issues in terms of the count that will need to be sorted out as the process moves forward."

Conyers' campaign turned in 2,000 signatures before the April 22 deadline.

Garret's office initially found 1,193 of them to be valid, but his primary opponent Rev. Horace Sheffield of Detroit filed a challenge based on accusations that two young campaign workers, Tiara Pittman, 19, and Daniel Pennington, 22, were not registered voters when they circulated petitions for Conyers' ballot application.

Results of Garret's subsequent review were released Friday, showing Conyers to be left with less than 600 valid signatures, according to the Associated Press.

The matter could be brought before state election authorities.

"Representative Conyers strongly believes that not only should every vote be counted, but that every registered voter should be able to participate in the electoral system," said Pirich. "There is little question that the voters of the 13th District have demonstrated a strong desire for Congressman Conyers to be a candidate for reelection, and he looks forward to participating in both the primary and general elections."

If left off the ballot, he would be the third powerful Metro Detroit politician in three years to be so affected by faulty petition filings.

In 2012, former U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter resigned from office after failing to get on the ballot for re-election because staff members filed fraudulent petition signatures.

In 2013, then-candidate for Detroit mayor Mike Duggan was forced to run a write-in campaign in the primary election because a technical mistake involving the timing of his petition filing kept his name off the ballot.

And now, in 2014, another possible mistake by campaign workers in a major Metro Detroit election could cost a congressman of 50 years a spot on the August ballot.